


Greetings Fellow Earthling

by sofiawrites



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27075571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sofiawrites/pseuds/sofiawrites
Summary: You are an alien skeptic failing your Astrophysics 142 class. Oikawa is an alien believer successfully majoring in astrophysics. When you join his alien conspiracy server thinking it’s a place for physics help, an unlikely connection is formed where you least expect it.
Relationships: Oikawa Tooru/Reader, Oikawa Tooru/You
Comments: 3
Kudos: 63





	Greetings Fellow Earthling

**Author's Note:**

> my first oikawa fic!! this was so so fun to write omg i love him so much and tbh i wrote most of this fic while wearing oikawa’s greys alien sweatshirt dhjsjd,, i rly hope u guys like it ^-^ also i’ve taken exactly one (1) astrophysics class in college so um i’m def qualified to write this LMAO,, pls lmk what u think!! xx sof

“Hey, did you get the DM I sent you?” asked Mao, one of your best friends and housemates for the school year. 

You thought of all the social networking sites she was active on. Twitter, Instagram, LINE, Club Penguin, TikTok… Too many platforms to count. And all of which you were barely active on enough to check the messages you received yourself.

“You’re gonna have to elaborate on that a little,” you said as you scribbled along the margins of your textbook, only pretending to comprehend the words on the page. Sometimes you wondered why physics had to exist. Plugging numbers into a formula and calculating torque you could do, but trying to understand the very concepts that theorized how the world worked was too metaphysical for you. You thought the more concrete things were, the better. Groaning, you continued, “And elaborate quick before my brain fries from trying to understand all this nonsense.” 

Mao stopped scrolling through an article she was reading on her laptop to turn to you. “Discord. Check it later.” 

You met her gaze with an inquiring one of your own.

“You always complain about not understanding abstract terms, right?”

“Hey! Complain’s a bit of a harsh word—”

She ignored you. “Well, I found a server for you full of nerds who could help you out.” 

“Like a tutoring group?” you asked, somewhat touched at her thoughtfulness. 

You had been struggling this semester in your current physics classes. Even in high school it had never been your strong suit; the formulas and math you could do, but the multiple choice and free response questions had you on your knees. 

Mao nodded with an inconspicuous hum. “Yeah… _Like_ a tutoring group, you could say.” She waited for you to say something—perhaps voice your suspicion?—but when you didn’t she went on. “I swear it’ll be good for you to join. They’ll help you open your mind when it comes to, erm, astrophysics.” 

“A server for astrophysics majors?” Your eyebrows shot up, suddenly excited at the prospect. “That’s the class I’m struggling most in right now!” Clapping your hands together you gave your friend a look of gratitude. “You think they can help?”

She bobbed her head solemnly, looking you straight in the eye. “I guarantee they will. So you better join the server! I got the invite from a friend who said it was open and welcoming.” 

Open and welcoming, hmm?

You supposed that could do. A nice group of smart people who might be willing to help explain the more conceptual side of physics practically falling onto your lap at the most perfect moment—near midterms. What could be more perfect?

“You know what? I think I will.”

**\- - - - -**

This was _not_ an astrophysics server. 

In hindsight, maybe the dancing alien head with LED laser beams as their server icon should’ve tipped you off, but you decided that maybe they were just physics nerds with a weird sense of humor. After all, whenever someone heard “astro-insert science of choice here” their first thought tended to be of extraterrestrial life. So perhaps the icon was just poking fun at that. 

Disregard the fact that the server name was something as ambiguous as “TRUTH SETS YOU FREE” which sounded alarmingly like the motto of a 20th Century cult. 

You shrugged. At least they had enough creativity to name it something other than the millions of “Area 51” servers.

Right when you clicked the invite your friend messaged you—which you should’ve known was too good to be true, especially coming from her—you were transported to the welcome channel and instantly bombarded with a flood of messages. 

→ **sleepyyn** just landed. 

**MEE6:** GREETINGS FELLOW EARTHLING ＼＼\٩(๑`^´๑)۶//／／ welcome aboard onto our journey to seek the truth. please fill out the #introductions and read the #rules when you have time! :alien:

**AlienKittyKenma:** Hi 

**owlien 52:** HEY HEY HEYYYYY

**clap some alien cheeks:** sup newbie :alien67: 

**AlienOverlord:** WELCOME FELLOW BELIEVER

**SHITTYKAWA STOP CHANGING MY NAME:** I’m sorry for…them

Against your better judgement, you decided to reply instead of leaving instantly like the feeling in your gut was trying to tell you to do. You had always thought alien-believers knew nothing of actual science, meaning you had no reason to stay in the server for astrophysics help. 

But a part of you wanted to see just where this shitshow would go before you dipped. 

**sleepyyn:** errr hi everyone! :) 

**alienfucker:** oh damn is that you in your profile pic? 

**alienfucker:** hot. u single?

**AlienOverlord:** YUUJI-KUN I WILL KICK YOU AGAIN

**owlien 52:** :holy_water: :holy_water:

Yeah. As amused as you were, you already regretted your decision to stay.

If you wanted horny college students to hit on you and borderline objectify you, you would’ve gone to the party your friends were at. But you wanted a break from thirsty guys this weekend and so instead, you were home in your comfy pajamas with Discord open on your laptop and a dusty textbook propped up on your desk.

Attempting to study on a Friday? Damn. Was that how desperate you were to get your Astrophysics 142 grade up? 

You sighed. You knew you should have taken Thermal Physics 111E instead. 

Your laptop sounded with a faint beep and you drew your attention back to your computer screen. Contrary to your expectations, the notification wasn’t from the fast-moving chat, but a direct message from one of the members of the server. 

**AlienOverlord:** hi i’m sorry about that alienfucker 

**AlienOverlord:** he means no harm but sorry if he made you uncomfortable 

With a look of surprise, you found yourself typing out your own response. You took it as some teasing, offhanded flirtation and not something that truly bothered you. It was more entertaining than anything else. So for someone to actually check up on you over such a small thing despite you having only joined three minutes ago brought a smile to your face. 

Some humans could be caring after all.

**sleepyyn:** ah, no worries! 

**sleepyyn:** it wasn’t that bad haha and i was going to leave the server anyway

**AlienOverlord:** wait what? why? did someone say something

**AlienOverlord:** if it was because of terushima i swear i’ll kick his ass both in person and on discord

**sleepyyn:** it wasn’t! my friend sent me and invite link and told me this was a server full of astrophysics majors because she’s a lil shit and knew i was practically FAILING that class 

**sleepyyn:** turns out it’s about alien conspiracies? or something? which is cool and all but i don’t believe in aliens so there’s no point in staying

**sleepyyn:** thanks for checking in though! 

There was a lapse of time as you waited for their next reply and you hoped you didn’t say anything they took offense to. Did he get upset by you calling them alien conspiracies? You said it was cool! Just…not something you were into. 

When you saw the “AlienOverlord is typing…” text pop up you felt the slightest hint of nerves in your stomach. You knew some believers behaved more like they were in a cult and crucified anyone with an opinion that opposed theirs, and you weren’t exactly looking to get into any sort of fight with a stranger from the Internet at the moment. 

But to your surprise, his answer wasn’t an attack at all. Nor was it even about aliens. 

**AlienOverlord:** u need help with astrophysics? 

**sleepyyn:** enough so that i’d join a random server someone sent just bc they said it had to do with it

**AlienOverlord:** ah, so you’re really struggling then hmm y/n? ^_−☆

**sleepyyn:** wha—

**sleepyyn:** i mean yeah i’m struggling ig

**sleepyyn:** why did u use such a happy kaomoji about my struggles smh >:( 

**sleepyyn:** and how do you know my name? 

**AlienOverlord:** it’s on your user tag, silly

**AlienOverlord:** and i sent a happy kaomoji because lucky for you, i happen to be a fourth year astrophysics major ✌︎(‘ω’)✌︎

**AlienOverlord:** yes, yes, let me hear the applause and the swoons of, “oh oikawa-senpai you’re so smart~~”

**sleepyyn:** ………

**sleepyyn:** i… 

**AlienOverlord:** leaving you speechless already i see ;)

**sleepyyn:** i’m starting to think i’d have fared better with alienfucker 

**AlienOverlord:** harsh :p and after i offer my assistance too

**sleepyyn:** you’re really an astrophysics major? 

**AlienOverlord:** you think i’d lie? 

**sleepyyn:** i mean idk,, i suppose not, but if that’s your major why are you um…

**sleepyyn:** into alien conspiracies?

**AlienOverlord:** they’re not just conspiracies, aliens are really out there y/n! 

**AlienOverlord:** trust me

**sleepyyn:** i have a hard time understanding why a physics major would think such a thing

By now you had closed the textbook that you were only pretending to read and ditched your laptop for your phone so you could crawl into bed while continuing this slightly ridiculous but oddly entertaining conversation. This person, who was apparently named Oikawa, seemed to be a genuine believer of aliens. They also appeared positive and confident and used an excess amount of kaomojis. 

**AlienOverlord:** after learning all about the universe and solar system and how grand it is, how could i not see aliens as a possibility? 

You kicked your legs up to rest on the wall, back flat on your bed as you held your phone in front of your face. 

Sure, the universe was vast—probably bigger than any human could truly fathom in one lifetime—but that didn’t mean life outside of earth was. It was a fact that while Earth-sized planets weren’t rare, Earth-sized planets within the range of the habitable zone with a proper pressure and temperature able to support and sustain life were. 

Not that you were going to say that to AlienOverlord Oikawa.

You were certain if you did they would have their own rebuttal and you didn’t want to engage in a debate right now. Plus, it would be incredibly rude to say how you disagreed with their beliefs after you joined the server and they so kindly checked up on you. 

You may be stubborn, but you weren’t an ass. 

**sleepyyn:** that’s true the universe is very big,, ig we don’t really know all that’s out there huh :)

**sleepyyn:** sorry if i insulted you by implying you couldn’t be a physics major and believe in aliens,, if my current astro142 grade was any indication i’m sure ur much better at it than i could be shjdjdj 

**AlienOverlord:** no worries y/n~

**AlienOverlord:** you’re probably failing because you don’t believe in aliens (^з^)-☆

**sleepyyn:** wha—

**sleepyyn:** i’m not failing!! well…not yet anyways. unless i bomb the midterm in two weeks. then there’s pretty much no coming up from there 

**sleepyyn:** but i doubt my potential success or inevitable doom can be attributed to an outside source such as aliens 

**AlienOverlord:** hmm if that’s what you think

**AlienOverlord:** what concepts are you struggling with? i took astro142 last year and passed with flying colors! the ladies tell me i’m a very helpful and generous senpai~ 

**sleepyyn:** humble too ;p

**sleepyyn:** and it’d be easier to list the concepts i’m not struggling with tbh 

**sleepyyn:** i’m not even a physics major !! my friend told me this class was easy and it crossed off a category i needed to finish to graduate so i took it. and now i have regrets. 

**AlienOverlord:** not everyone can be naturally gifted in this field i suppose

You snorted. Though they seemed rather cocky, it was oddly endearing–in the same way a baby’s constant wails could only be endearing to its loving guardians. Obnoxious yet familiar. Annoying yet comforting. 

Before you knew it you ended up chatting back-and-forth with AlienOverlord hours into the night, even after your roommate sent you a “don’t wait up i’m drunk” text at half past one in the morning.

You learned that his name was Oikawa, he was 21 years old and an astrophysics student who went to the same university as you. He was a grade above you and—irritatingly enough—insisted you call him senpai even though you technically didn’t meet in a school setting, nor did you associate him with such things. Still, it was better than the first option he gave you: Supreme Alien Leader.

There was no way in hell you were calling him either of those things, but you let him have his moment. 

You learned that he liked volleyball and hated losing. He was relatively active on campus events and even went to parties on occasion, leaving you wondering how you had never come across an Oikawa in all your years of college. His personality was…memorable, to say the least. You knew if you met him, you would remember. He didn’t seem like someone who would let anyone forget him easily. 

While you were messaging him, time went by so quickly and you didn’t even realize until a loud yawn escaped your lips. It was no longer even about aliens or school (though the topic of your poor Astrophysics 142 grade was gnawing at the back of your mind) and just turned into talking about whatever came up. 

You rubbed at your eyes, dreariness finally making its way from your brain to your body. 

**sleepyyn:** think m sleepy

**sleepyyn:** gonna knckk out but nice talking to yku oikawa (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

Damn. Even his kaomoji usage was already rubbing off on you in your even-more-tired-than-usual state. 

**AlienOverlord:** goodnight then y/n-chan~ 

**AlienOverlord:** thanks for chatting with me! it was fun. dream of aliens (and me) 

**AlienOverlord:** and remember the offer is still open if you need help with astro142

**sleepyyn:** aliens still not real bht gn,, 

**sleepyyn:** you rly tutro me? 

**AlienOverlord:** if you think you can handle my good looks and impressive intellect of course ^_−☆

**AlienOverlord:** but we can discuss more tomorrow! sleep well

With a smile on your face you locked your phone and nestled your head on your pillow in contentment. And as you were drifting off into dreamland, you were almost certain a dancing alien head with color disco lights was waiting for you in your dreams. 

**\- - - - -**

Tomorrow came quicker than you had anticipated as the sunlight that made its way through your half-closed curtains shined directly in your face, urging you awake. 

You groaned. You were so distracted the previous night you had forgotten to close your blinds and now…you were paying for it. Maybe this is what you deserved for goofing around with some random guy on the Internet instead of studying like you said you would. While you hadn’t left the server yet (it was far too amusing to see “owlien 52” and “clap those alien cheeks” give their commentary about the most random things that happened to them), you were still reluctant to chat in it, sticking mainly to your private messages with Oikawa.

It had been a while since you found yourself able to talk to someone for almost hours on end like that. In high school you would consider yourself a social butterfly of sorts, able to talk and text people regardless of the time of day. But as you grew older, you became more sparing with your time and who you chose to spend it with. 

Most days, you would rather have been alone than go out or stay up and text, and even if you did decide to socialize, part of you couldn’t help but think of all the other things you could’ve been doing if you were by yourself. 

That wasn’t the case when you were talking to AlienOverlord. 

Surprisingly enough, you were invested in the conversation and didn’t have to consciously make yourself sound engaged. It was as if you were actually having fun talking to a complete stranger… _Lots_ of fun, if you were being honest. You hadn’t felt that excitement with someone new in a while. 

Which is why, after getting ready for the day and eating some breakfast, the first thing you did was gravitate towards your phone to check for any notifications from your new friend. 

**AlienOverlord:** not sure if you’re awake or not (and if you’re not, then you should manage your sleep schedule better~) but good morning y/n-chan!

**AlienOverlord:** did you see the news about the alien warrior figure spotted on mars in a nasa photo? 

**AlienOverlord:** DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS? 

**AlienOverlord:** ALIENS ARE FULLY EQUIPPED TO SEND THEIR WARRIORS DOWN TO EARTH IF THEY EVER DEEM US A THREAT 

**AlienOverlord:** if they come here i hope they abduct me

You blinked, hardly bothering to stifle the surprised laughter that escaped from your lips at the sight of all his texts. You weren’t sure what you expected to find, but it certainly wasn’t this. Not that you were complaining. 

**sleepyyn:** i don’t know how you woke up earlier than me when i know for a FACT you went to bed later (and in that case, shouldn’t you be the one who needs to fix their sleep schedule and get more sleep??), but good morning to you too ;p

**sleepyyn:** and mmm are you sure it’s not just pareidolia? 

**AlienOverlord:** YOU’RE UP

**AlienOverlord:** I WAS WAITING FOR HOUUUURS FOR A RESPOND

**AlienOverlord:** I THOUGHT THE EVIL SECT OF ALIENS GOT YOU

**sleepyyn:** you sent these messages like less than 30 minutes ago fhjdkhs wdym 

**sleepyyn:** i’m very much alive. if an evil sect of aliens got me i’m sure it would’ve been on campus news at the very least LOLOL

**AlienOverlord:** bold of you to think they’re not advanced enough to do a quick job on the down low

**sleepyyn:** don’t worry oikawa, if an evil alien visits me (pretending they’re real), you’d be the first one to know

**AlienOverlord:** you don’t need to pretend because they are real (^з^)-☆

**AlienOverlord:** BUT IF YOU DO GET PROBED AND SOMEHOW SURVIVE YOU HAVE TO PROMISE TO TELL ME BEFORE ANY OF THE OTHER GUYS IN THE SERVER

**AlienOverlord:** PROMISE???

**sleepyyn:** of course you’d be the first to know :P i only sent like two messages there yesterday anyway

**sleepyyn:** honestly i’ll probably leave it soon 

**AlienOverlord:** what! why (｡T ω T｡)

**sleepyyn:** because i don’t believe in aliens, remember? fkdshfjk

**sleepyyn:** it’s totally cool that you guys do ofc! but think of how strange it must be to have a non-believer lurking lolol

**AlienOverlord:** they wouldn’t mind if it’s you~

**AlienOverlord:** but if that’s what you want i’ll just go (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ

**sleepyyn:** omg please what is that it looks like a sad whale 

**AlienOverlord:** now y/n-chan is calling me a sad whale??? 

**AlienOverlord:** i’m hurt 

**sleepyyn:** no! the kaomoji looks like a one 

**sleepyyn:** but there’s nothing wrong with that !! i love whales !! whales are cute

**AlienOverlord:** aliens are cuter

**sleepyyn:** even if they abduct you or probe you in your sleep?

**AlienOverlord:** yes, even then

You shook your head at the prospect. Only Oikawa would find a creepy alien poking around his brain while he’s sleep to be cute. 

**AlienOverlord:** WAIT OH NO

**sleepyyn:** what’s wrong?? 

**AlienOverlord:** HOW DO I KNOW YOU AREN’T AN ALIEN?

**sleepyyn:** wh…what?

**AlienOverlord:** HOW DO I KNOW?

**AlienOverlord:** are you an alien? ＼(º □ º l|l)/

**sleepyyn:** no?

**sleepyyn:** i’m not

**AlienOverlord:** sounds like something an alien would say

**sleepyyn:** is this a witch hunt? anything could be something an alien would say 

**sleepyyn:** but trust me, i’m not one

**sleepyyn:** if i were i probably wouldn’t be practically failing astrophysics 

**AlienOverlord:** |_・) that’s what an alien would say to get me to believe they’re not an alien 

**AlienOverlord:** and if that’s the case…take me to your leader please! 

**sleepyyn:** oikawa -.- 

**AlienOverlord:** alien-chan (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

**sleepyyn:** dfdjhfks ur such a dork (ಥ﹏ಥ)

**AlienOverlord:** oh my jupiter what is that 

**sleepyyn:** ???

**sleepyyn: i** t’s a kaomoji ? u know ,, like the ones you ALWAYS use

**AlienOverlord:** no no

**AlienOverlord:** MY kaomojis are cute

**AlienOverlord:** yours looks like a troll

**AlienOverlord:** gasp!! you found a kaomoji of iwa-chan! 

**AlienOverlord:** i’m going to show that to him

**sleepyyn:** is that a friend of yours? that’s so mean omg don’t do that fhjkskd 

**AlienOverlord:** too late

**sleepyyn:** … 

**AlienOverlord:** ANYWHOOO~ 

**AlienOverlord:** when are we meeting today? did you want to meet at the tea shop on campus? 

Looking at your disheveled appearance in alarm, you raised your brow when you saw Oikawa’s message. You didn’t recall establishing a meeting day— You had only started talking to him yesterday, after all.

**sleepyyn:** wait wait 

**sleepyyn:** meeting today? hUH

**AlienOverlord:** well yes!

**AlienOverlord:** you need help with astro142, correct? well i, your loving and gracious senpai, would just so happen to be happy to help you study

**sleepyyn:** in person???

**sleepyyn:** today???

**AlienOverlord:** yup yup

**AlienOverlord:** we do go to the same university. so might as well meet up soon, right? (╯✧▽✧)╯

**AlienOverlord:** unless you don’t want to ?

**sleepyyn:** oh no no! i’m free today so that sounds fine to me

**sleepyyn:** i was just surprised is all LOL

**sleepyyn:** so did you want to meet at 12pm at naughtea? 

**AlienOverlord:** wow! y/n-chan asking me out on a date~ aren’t i lucky? 

**sleepyyn:** i am not :p you said you could help me with astro 

**sleepyyn:** we’re just going to meet up to study

**AlienOverlord:** a study date, then! 

**AlienOverlord:** even cuter

**AlienOverlord:** you know, i hear that’s all the rage in america lately 

**sleepyyn:** there’s no winning with you huh (ಥ﹏ಥ)

**sleepyyn:** fine fine,, i’ll call it whatever you want if you actually end up being helpful 

**AlienOverlord:** i’m always helpful! ask my kouhais 

**sleepyyn:** i’ll be the judge of that myself hfjsdhkd

**AlienOverlord:** fine by me~

**AlienOverlord:** i’ll see you at 12 then. and don’t worry about getting lunch before. my treat!

Before you could read too much into it, you quickly agreed to Oikawa’s proposal and tossed your phone out of your hands. It would be noon in two hours so you had time to do some chores around the house and find something cute to wear for your study “date”— Not that you wanted to dress up to see him, but… Fine, maybe you wanted to dress up to see him. 

You had no idea how he looked or if he even was an astrophysics major like he told you, but you didn’t need a reason to want to look cute. Right? With a huff, you began cleaning around your apartment while wondering about the events that may transpire during lunch.

Would he be as charming and exuberant in person? Or would he be more mild-mannered and soft-spoken contrary to his online persona? You didn’t mind either way, but you were quite curious. Despite the incredibly short notice, maybe meeting up with Oikawa wouldn’t be so bad. 

In fact, a part of you was actually looking forward to it.

**\- - - - -**

“I’m heading out for lunch. Don’t miss me too much!” Oikawa called as he slipped on some shoes near the door of his apartment. 

Hearing that one special word, Bokuto poked his head out from the hallway. “Lunch? Can I come with?” 

Oikawa smiled to himself. Of course Bokuto would appear when the mention of food came up. And as much as he would have loved Bokuto’s charming company over the mountain of meat Bokuto would inevitably order, Oikawa was already planning on meeting with you. Just you. Hopefully.

“Sorry, but not today,” he said, not sounding very apologetic. “I made these plans with someone else. Someone you don’t know. And I’m going to help them study after.”

Now, it was Kuroo’s turn to pop his disheveled head out of his room.

“Study date?” asked Kuroo, grabbing a banana from the kitchen and leaning his thigh against the table. “Who with?”

Oikawa shrugged, looking in the mirror to debate whether or not he should wear his glasses. Everyone went crazy for a man in glasses. But he decided to spare you the heart attack and leave them off for today. “You know the person who joined the server and ended up not talking or even being a believer of aliens?”

“The one you stayed up texting all night?” 

“That’s the one!” he cooed. Any other person might have felt the slightest hint of shame or embarrassment, but Oikawa confirmed it with an air of smugness. “Y/N’s a third year here and they need help with astrophysics.”

Kuroo nodded. He knew it was Oikawa’s major and that Oikawa was rather good at what he did. “Okay. And you’re helping because…?”

Oikawa frowned, folding his arms across his chest. Did he need a reason to want to help? He was simply a good person doing this from the kindness of his heart. “Because I’m a good senpai.” 

Both Bokuto and Kuroo stared at him blankly. 

He pouted. “Okay… Maybe I also want to convince them aliens are real.”

“That sounds more like you,” Kuroo snorted. “Conniving.” 

“So mean, Kuroo-chan! ” Sure, sometimes he had an ulterior motive, but he swore that wasn’t always the case. “I’m still going to help them ace the class– I even brought my notes from last year to share!” Oikawa motioned to his messenger bag that he carefully shouldered on. “I assure you, I’m a multi-talented individual who can do it all– Help Y/N pass class _and_ see the truth. Two in one!”

He was certain he heard Kuroo say something like “are you sure about that?” under his breath, but he merely smiled in response.

“Now if you horridly single people will excuse me, my study date is waiting.” 

“Later, Oika’a-kun. Don’t scare Y/N away with your unnerving face.”

“Kiss my ass,” he sang, dancing out the doorway with a skip in his step and the faint laughter from his friends as he pulled his phone out. 

In just a few minutes, he would be on his way to see his new non-believer friend who sucked at astrophysics. And he was ready to show you what an amazing teacher he could be.

**\- - - - -**

You arrived before Oikawa did. 

Not that you could be completely sure of that since you didn’t exactly know how he looked. In your head, you supposed you pictured him as someone short and hyperactive, a little nerdy looking but who were you to judge? The two of you were meeting to get food and do physics and there was no good reason for your stomach to be doing flip-flops as if you were preparing for a blind date.

Shaking off the silly nerves, you pulled out your phone.

**sleepyyn:** i’m sitting at the window booth to the side of the counter! 

**AlienOverlord:** ooh~ is that one you? i knew you’d be pretty

Feeling the heat rise up to your cheeks, you hastily placed your phone facedown on the table and looked around the cafe. Your eyes darted around the relatively empty shop looking for any new faces that might be Oikawa. You didn’t hear the door open, nor did you see anyone come in for a while. So, unless he was the graduate student asleep in the corner, you doubted Oikawa was actually here. 

Your phone vibrated as you picked it back up, revealing a message you should’ve seen coming.

**AlienOverlord:** kidding kidding, i’m still walking there 

**AlienOverlord:** only 3 minutes away now!

You huffed. Of course he would pull your leg like that. Despite only knowing him for a day, you weren’t the least bit surprised at his mischief. Besides, a compliment like that was much too forward and not one you thought anyone would genuinely give you. 

Only a few minutes of you restlessly scrolling through random apps on your phone passed before you got a notification that read “here!” the moment you heard the door chime open. The unbidden nerves that you had tried to suppress flooded your stomach as you gathered the courage to look up. It wasn’t even that you had a crush on him—you only met the guy 24 hours ago. It was just the prospect of meeting someone in person for the first time that was somewhat daunting. It felt like the start of an awkward Tinder date, though you knew in reality it was anything but. 

Slowly, you lifted your head, expecting to see him at the front of the store looking around curiously for you. But what you saw was much worse. He was already right next to your table, staring down at you with a bright smile on his face. 

And by staring down, you meant staring _down_. As in, he was much taller than you expected him to be. A lot hotter too. 

Somewhere along the hours of messaging Oikawa about aliens and physics and everything in between, you began to develop an image of an average-heighted, glasses-wearing, hyperactive person who was of normal attractiveness— All of which could be good things and what was common to see in this university. After all, you didn’t think you were anything special to gawk at either. But it was just that this man in front of you wasn’t that. He was so much _more_ , and that fact alone almost had you tripping over your words. 

“H-Hey there,” you greeted uncertainly, bringing up a hand next to your face to wave. 

His smile widened as he returned your wave. “Y/N-chan! See, I knew you would be pretty, but you’re even cuter than your pixilated profile picture showed.” 

Yup, there was no doubt this man it front of you was AlienOverlord now. Not that you had any reason to believe otherwise in the first place. The first thing you noticed about him—after his height and objective beauty, of course—was his red sweatshirt with a large alien right in the center (which he somehow pulled off in an almost unfair way). If that wasn’t an obvious sign that he was the alien enthusiast you met on Discord, you didn’t know what was.

You folded your arms, trying to look unaffected by his flirtatious words. “No need to tease.” 

Oikawa slid into the seat across from you, his face donning a confused expression. “I wasn’t teasing.” He took the book bag off his shoulder and placed it next to the wall before resting his chin on his hands and gazing straight at you. “You are cute. Beautiful, actually.”

The intensity of his stare made you look away, huffing despite the rush of nerves you felt coursing through you. “This isn’t a Tinder date or something. You don’t have to sweet talk me, Oikawa.” 

“Of course it’s not a Tinder date; we didn’t meet there. It’s a study date,” he said simply, as if that were a well-known fact. Before you could protest and tell him it wasn’t a date, he asked, “You didn’t order anything yet, did you? What do you say we grab some lunch somewhere else before I help you with astrophysics?” 

You hesitated. You were feeling quite hungry. And you weren’t sure if pastries from a tea shop—though delicious—would be enough to fuel you for a grueling day of studying. Thinking it through, you found yourself agreeing to Oikawa’s proposition. Food first, study later. 

“Where are we going?” you said, shrugging your backpack onto your shoulders as you got out of the booth. 

He walked beside you as you exited the tea shop, waving a brief goodbye to the baristas while holding the door open for you. You smiled to yourself. He was certainly a ladykiller. 

“How do you feel about curry rice?” 

Your stomach almost growled at the thought and you held your hands over it as if that would stop it from making noise. He was kind enough to pretend he didn’t notice anything strange when you gave him a sheepish look. “Curry sounds nice.” 

Oikawa nodded. “Great, because there’s a place not too many people know about near here. It’s still new, but once word gets out about it I guarantee it’ll be as packed as all the ramen shops.” 

“I’m glad we can go before we have to reserve a seat hours in advance just to eat there,” you chirped, excited to try a new food place. It was curry rice. You could never go wrong with curry rice. With different spice level options, different meat or seafood selections… Everything about it was perfect and delectable. You blinked, shaking the thoughts of curry rice out of your mind before you started drooling in front of Oikawa when you weren’t even next to the food. “How did you hear about it?”

“A friend of a friend works there and told us about it.” He put his hands in his pockets and turned slightly towards you as you waited for the light to change colors and signal an okay to cross the road. “I’m sure you’ll love it too! Otherwise, I wouldn’t take you there, of course. Can’t have you thinking I have bad taste now, can I?” 

You looked up at him as he guided you down the street. Even in the harsh sunlight that (for a normal person) should have cast unsightly shadows on his face, Oikawa walked about with blaring beauty. If anything, the sun only made him seem to shine even brighter. 

Eyeing his bright red alien shirt, you grinned. “Bad taste? You? Never.” 

He held his hand to his chest in mock offense and pouted, his lower lip jutting out just enough to draw your attention to it. You averted your gaze with a cough. “Are you implying you don’t like my sweater? You have to show some respect to the Greys.” 

“The Greys?” 

“Grey aliens— Roswell Greys?” 

“Not ringing a bell.” 

“They’re the most common alien-with-intelligence archetype in numerous parts of the world,” he explained when the clueless expression on your face remained unchanged, still walking down the street and slowing his pace to match yours. “In the United States, a majority of the reportings of alien abductions features an extraterrestrial with the physical features of Greys— The large head and eyes void of light. Skeletal body that’s typically reported to be smaller than an average human’s.” 

You hummed, tapping your chin thoughtfully. Now that he described it, you guess you had seen those types of humanoid creatures in popular media. But only in videos or movies that were either of conspiracies or science fiction. Still, you couldn’t help but think it was a little cute that Oikawa seemed so passionate about it. “So, like this little guy on your sweatshirt?” 

“Exactly.” Oikawa smoothed the fabric down for you as you gave the decal a closer look. “He’s a Grey.” 

“And you think they’re real?” 

“To an extent, yes.” 

You wanted to ask him more about what he meant by that, but before you opened your mouth he had stopped walking and looked up at the store in front of him. The joint was of a smaller size and was nestled between a conbini and an ice cream parlor, and the delicious smell coming from inside the glass door was enough to make your mouth begin to water. 

“We’re here!” he announced, making an extravagant gesture to open the door for you and guide you in. 

The moment you stepped foot in the establishment, you were greeted by a friendly “hello, please have a seat” and directed to a free table. Oikawa ordered a curry rice with medium spice and extra curry sauce and recommended one he thought would suit your tastes as well. By the time your food and drinks arrived at your table, you and Oikawa had settled into some comfortable conversation about some seemingly random things. 

With anyone else, you were sure you would have felt tense during the brief lapse of silences, maybe even nervous at the thought of eating curry rice messily or doing something that might be weird or embarrassing. But Oikawa knew how to put you at ease. He was good at understanding people and his constant smiles and flirtatious attitude made him fun to be around, albeit a little hard to read. 

“Wait, wait—” you wheezed between laughter, trying to take a drink of water before the curry could go down the wrong pipe. “You’re telling me Kuroo accidentally ripped the only pair of pants he brought during freshman orientation, and now you two are friends because you loaned him one of your jeans?” 

“Horrendous plaid shorts that I try to pretend never existed, actually,” he said, chuckling as he scrolled through his album to find a picture on his phone. “My obaasan got them for me and I never had the heart to just shove it away in a drawer. I was more or less looking for an excuse to finally get rid of them rather than loan them out of the kindness of my heart.”

You shook your head, trying not to burst out into another fit of giggles when Oikawa showed you the photo of his friend in the ugly shorts. “He was in that for _all_ of orientation?” 

“The remaining four days, yes.”

“Did you not have other bottoms that would fit him?” 

“I let him try a pair of jeans which, in my opinion, fit him rather decently,” he sniffed, turning his nose up haughtily. “But Kuroo-chan said it was too tight and that my ass was too flat for his—which isn’t even much bigger, mind you!” His eyes narrowed at the memory and you covered your mouth to stop your amusement from showing. Was ass size a sensitive topic for him? “And so I told him to take it off and he was stuck with the plaid shorts instead.” 

“Still quite generous of you.”

“That’s what I said!” 

You shared a smile as he finished up the story. Compared to his, your orientation was uneventful, but you didn’t quite mind that. You’d rather have an uneventful orientation week than end up having to wear Oikawa’s godawful shorts. The thought of his terrible shorts conjured up an image in your mind of the man in front of you wearing them right now and you couldn’t help but snort at the thought.

He quirked an eyebrow as he swallowed a mouthful of egg and rice. “Something funny?”

“Just thinking of you in those shorts with that sweatshirt.” 

“Still making fun of my sweatshirt, Y/N-chan?” he sulked, giving you a look that could only be described as “puppy dog eyes.” 

You shook your head in denial. “No, of course not. It’s cute.” 

“Now you’re just saying that.”

“Am not!” you protested, trying not to focus on how adorable his pout was. “Roosevelt’s Greys are very…endearing.”

“Roswell Greys.”

“That’s what I said.” 

“Was not. Maybe this is why you’re failing astrophysics.” 

Your jaw dropped open at his low blow, but you were more surprised than offended. Oikawa let out a tinkling laugh at your astonished expression that made you huff and stick your tongue out at him. 

“And here I was thinking you were just some nice, flirty guy,” you said sullenly. 

He brushed his already side-swept hair back. “I’m multifaceted.” 

“One of those facets better be good at helping a people with physics.” 

“It is. I’ll prove it to you when we’re done eating.” 

The two of you finished up your meal with continued banter and lighthearted bickering—like something you would do with a friend you were already comfortable with. And in a way, you supposed you already were comfortable with Oikawa. And the ease in which you talked to him made it feel normal to consider him a friend. It was bizarre how disarming he could be. 

When the waiter came to ask if you were ready to pay, Oikawa fished out his card before you could even ask for a split check. 

“My treat, remember?” he said at your questioning look. “I’m a man of my word.” 

“But…” 

“You can just cover next time if you want.” 

So he was implying there would be a next time? You could have ignored the fact that it sounded like an invitation if not for his raised eyebrow or tilted head, waiting for your response. You grew flustered. “Next time?”

He gave a subtle nod.

You felt your cheeks warm up the slightest bit as you smiled to yourself. “I guess that doesn’t sound too bad.” 

He mirrored your expression, a hint of a dimple popping up on his cheek. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” 

After paying and tipping the establishment, you made your way back to the main parts of campus with Oikawa by your side. Though you were essentially walking the same way you had been earlier going to the curry restaurant, there was much more effortlessness between the two of you now, occasionally even bumping arms and leaning in to hear the other better. 

You asked if he wanted to go to the library to study, but since he planned on helping you out, he figured it would be easier to talk in a cafe. 

“I hope the booth we were in earlier is still available.”

“A window booth with the perfect lighting,” he said in agreement before looking up at the sky. “If the alien overlords hear this plea, please make sure our table is open! Y/N-chan needs only the best ambiance for the studying to come.” He returned his gaze to you and patted the top of your head as if to rub your blatant disbelief away. “Now when our spot is made available to us, you’ll know it was the work of the generous aliens–who are very much real.” 

“It’s more crowded on campus than when we left, so I highly doubt that the same booth will be open,” you contented, though if you were honest, you hoped you were wrong. The seat had, as Oikawa said, the perfect ambiance for studying. Certain areas just put you in the mood to be diligent, and that was one of them. “And by the off chance it isn’t taken, it would be a complete coincidence.” 

He tsked. “The aliens will prove you wrong.” 

“We’ll see about that.” 

When you approached Naughtea, you opened the door and the first place your eyes shot at was the booth—the very much taken booth, mind you. With pursed lips, you craned your neck to look up at Oikawa and give him an “I told you so” spiel, but he held his finger up. 

“Wait.” 

As if on cue, the small group sitting there gathered their belongings and promptly headed out of the shop, one of their shoulders accidentally brushing yours along the way. You gaped at them as they left, seemingly out of their own accord.

Oikawa turned to you with a perspicacious smile. 

You blinked. “Don’t say—”

“Aliens.” 

A startled laugh escaped you despite yourself as you walked past him to the now open table. 

“A coincidence,” you insisted, but your words had no bark to them. 

“I think not!”

You groaned, fighting off the amused grin on your face as you slid down one side of the window booth. Oikawa, instead of sitting across from you, entered into the spot next to you, thighs almost touching with the close proximity. Your eyes widened as your head darted back and forth between the empty seat across you and the man with no apparent personal space boundaries sitting right beside you.

He seemed to catch onto your jitters and tried to soothe them with a wink. A wink which did nothing but make you even more nervous, you huffed.

“It’s easier to tutor you when I’m sitting next to you,” he explained, pulling out a notebook from his messenger bag with ease. He paused. “Does it make you uncomfortable?” 

“No, no,” you denied, clearing your throat with a nervous chuckle. “This is fine.”

He was so close to you that you could practically feel the heat radiating off his own body, his fitted sweater making him look warm and cozy. If you were to lean in any closer, the hints of fresh mint and subtle sweetness coming from Oikawa would’ve overtaken your senses and you were grateful his attention was on the contents of his bookbag and not you at the moment so you could inconspicuously fan yourself. 

You didn’t even realize you were holding your breath until he let one of his own out. 

“Found my pen!” he exclaimed, fishing something from the side pocket of his bag and placing it onto the table in front of him. He glanced over to your barren area. “Did you bring a notebook to study? Or did you need to borrow mine—?”

“Oh, it’s okay! I brought mine,” you said, trying to snap yourself out of your airheaded daze. You took a deep breath, painfully aware of his closeness. “I wouldn’t go to a study session without my supplies.” 

He corrected, “Study date.” 

If your heart hadn’t already been palpitating from Oikawa being in your personal bubble, it definitely would’ve started now. He had a teasing smile on his face and you knew he had to be joking, but that didn’t stop you from growing more flustered.

Damn it. How were you supposed to pay attention to the course material when all you could think about was his knee softly pressed against your thigh? 

You pinched yourself to snap into focus. You had to pass Astrophysics 142. That was the goal here.

“I, um, have the textbook here too,” you informed, pulling the 500-page hardcover out of your backpack. 

His eyes bulged at the sight. “You mean to tell me you had this with you the whole time?”

Hesitantly, you nodded, confused at his tone. 

“Even when we walked to the curry restaurant?” he continued incredulously.

“Yes… Why?” 

Oikawa pressed his lips together, beginning to fret as he gently put his hands on your shoulder and back. “You were lugging this heavy thing around the whole time? You poor thing! Why didn’t you say anything?” he scolded. “I would’ve held your bag for you. It must’ve hurt your back carrying it around for so long.” 

He softly but firmly rubbed circles onto the back of your shoulder blades with his thumbs, the sudden touch almost tickling enough to send a tingling sensation down your spine. With nimble fingers and even pressure, this seemed like something he did to people often— And he did it well, to say the least. While it could’ve been a flirty and intimate experience that might make you uncomfortable, he carried on with an air of professionalism. 

Not to say that the massage didn’t leave you burning up and flustered, of course. Just that it wasn’t an attempt to be sensual on Oikawa’s part. Your hormones, however, said different things.

“You’ve been quiet for a while,” he said, breaking the silence. “Feels good?” 

Your eyes fluttered shut. _“Mmm.”_

He laughed breathily, a light puff of heat on the back of your neck that made your hairs stick straight up. “Hmm, I’ll take that as a yes.”

Even through the thin fabric of your shirt, you felt the slightly hardened calluses of his thumbs against your back. Your head lolled to the side in contentment and it was only when you felt a cool fingertip skim the length of your neck did you pull away in embarrassment, cheeks ablaze as you tried to gather your composure. 

“Erm— My back is fine! Thank you,” you chuckled nervously, avoiding his gaze. “I’m used to lugging overpriced textbooks around campus anyway.” 

Oikawa frowned, a flash of guilt in his eyes so brief you figured you only imagined it. “But I made you carry it around more than you needed.” 

“It was worth it for the curry,” you insisted, riffling through the pages of text to find the lessons you needed the most help with. “And your massage helped a lot. My upper back hasn’t felt this loose and limber since…birth?” 

He smiled at that. “Call me anytime for a massage then. Free, just for you.” 

Though his intonation seemed flirtatious, his intentions were unclear. To you, at least. He seemed like a person who talked to everyone like this— Not because he was hitting on them, but just because that’s how he was. You didn’t want to let any of it get to your head when he was only being nice and helping you study. 

“I’ll keep that in mind when my back inevitably starts hurting in the next few days.” 

“Then I’ll be getting my fingers ready,” he said, flexing his hands out in front of him. His fingers were long and on the slender side, looking hardened yet well-maintained. 

You coughed. “Th-Thanks?”

He nodded and you unzipped your pencil pouch to find your favorite pen, toying with the thrust device as Oikawa uncapped his. 

“So, what did you need help with?” he asked as he flipped through his own notebook. “These are my notes from the class, and I’d say they’re very helpful!” He paused on a section and pulled a face. “Is it the electromagnetic spectrum you need help with? I remember hating that part— It’s the most boring part of astrophysics!” 

“Actually, that’s one of the few things I don’t need help on,” you said sheepishly. Luminosity, electromagnetic energy, time… Those were concepts you could wrap your brain around. You could see the numbers and understand Watts just fine. But things like special relativity and even dark matter flew over your head. You moved your textbook closer to his line of vision and pointed, “Can you help with this?” 

Oikawa brightened as he skimmed the page. “General relativity and special relativity?” He clasped his hands together in excitement. “One of my favorites!” 

You gawked, unable to understand why or how those concepts could be anyone’s favorites, but you simply sighed in begrudging respect. Hopefully he could transfer some of his knowledge to you. 

“First, do you know the difference between them?” 

If it weren’t for his kind tone, you would’ve felt insulted that he asked you a question with such an obvious answer. 

“Yeah, general relativity I can get, but this concept,” you circled a section in the book, “makes my brain hurt.” 

“Well, isn’t it a good thing I’m here to help my little kouhai?” he teased with a wink. Your face heated up for what was probably the fifth time today as he flipped to a different section in his notebook. 

The clock ticked while he explained to you the special theory of relativity, somehow able to convey it in a way that made you understand the complexities of space and time a little more than you previously did. It was still difficult to grasp and confusing—wrapping your head around the idea of light in space moving in a vacuum wasn’t the easiest feat—but with Oikawa’s help you got there eventually. 

“So, simultaneity is relative,” you said slowly, trying to sum up what he just taught you, “because…”

“Time flows differently according to…” prompted Oikawa, with the patience of an angel. 

You hesitated, only speaking up at his encouraging nod. “According to two observers with different frames of reference?”

He beamed at you and you felt a weight lifted off your shoulders. With a small cheer he held his hand up for a high five which you returned with a laugh. 

“I actually understood something?” you asked incredulously, eyes bright. “Maybe aliens are real after all.”

“Nah.” He shook his head and smiled at your curious look. “Well, aliens are real, yes. But understanding this is all because of your hard work.”

You glanced down at your scribbles of notes, thoroughly abashed. “And yours too. I would’ve stayed lost and clueless if it weren’t for you.”

“You’re a smart person. You would’ve figured it out yourself eventually. But I’m happy to assist you in any way I can.” Oikawa sent you a charming grin as he patted your head. You didn’t even bother batting his hands away before he could mess your hair up. “See, didn’t I tell you I was the best senpai?” 

“I guess you were right,” you admitted, folding your arms across your chest despite your evident happiness. “Thanks Oikawa-senpai.”

“Oh—” He almost stuttered and you looked at him, shocked. 

There was the slightest hint of a blush coloring his cheeks as he swept his hair out of his face. Although you were only joking when you called him that, you found yourself feeling flustered by his response. You rolled your lower lip into your mouth and fiddled with the hem of your shirt. 

Smoothing down his sweater to regain his composure, he said, “I didn’t think you’d actually say it.” He gave you a flirty wink to turn the tide, the color of his face returning to normal. “You’re so cute when you look like that, Y/N-chan.”

You knew he was teasing you, but instead of letting yourself grow shy, you quipped back, “And you’re so cute when you blush like that.” You weren’t sure how you got the nerve to say that, but seeing his features grow coy made it worth it. Fighting off the butterflies in your stomach, you asked, “Should we get back to studying?”

“Sure.” Oikawa’s teeth were blinding as he gave you a practiced smirk. “Then I can impress you more and have you flatter me again.” 

“I’m sure you have plenty of people more than willing to praise you already.”

“But I want it from you.” 

His tone was sincere and you couldn’t help but laugh in surprise. You nodded in agreement. “Okay, then.” 

With how helpful he was already, there was no doubt in your mind that you would end up showering him with well-deserved compliments soon enough. 

He explained concepts like galaxy formation and went more in-depth into theories that he claimed you should have memorized by heart to ace the Astrophysics 142 exams. His notes were organized and neat, making them easy to comprehend when he mapped it all out. Oikawa, in short, was an incredibly good tutor. He was patient and caring, but still challenged you to push yourself to do your best no matter how difficult the concept seemed. He knew these terms inside and out and was able to tell you about them like the back of his hand, elucidating in layperson’s language so it was easy to digest, then building them up and adding them together to explain theories.

Plus, it helped that his voice was nice to listen to and he made frequent, teasing remarks to make sure he kept your attention. 

You were so focused on learning astrophysics that you almost didn’t notice the constant brushing of his knee against your thigh, or how he interlocked fingers with you after a high five, or the genuine smiles he gave that weren’t like his normal, coquettish ones— Almost. 

If you weren’t so painfully aware of his very presence that managed to both comfort you and send your stomach into a spiral at the same time, you might not have noticed those things. But you did. 

And you weren’t exactly complaining. 

By the time you felt like your brain had absorbed all the information it possibly could in one day, the sun had already finished setting. You looked out the window and Oikawa followed your gaze. 

“It’s night time now,” you said, eyes wide. “Did you really help me study all day?” 

“It did get late,” he agreed but didn’t look the least bit bothered by the fact. “We even forgot about dinner. Guess time flies when we’re together!” 

You scratched the back of your neck a little guiltily. He paid for your lunch and helped tutor you until the moon came up. And though he didn’t seem troubled by any of those things, you still couldn’t help but feel bad for not giving him anything in return. 

Oikawa pulled his sleeve up to glance at the watch on his wrist before turning to you. “Looks like the tea shop’s going to close soon.” 

“Oh!” You jumped, thinking he was prompting you to let him finally go. “Of course.” In a flash, you began packing your belongings away and zipped up your backpack hastily. “Thank you for all your help! I, um, don’t want to keep you any more than I already have—”

“Hey, who said that?” he chastised lightly. “I enjoyed today; you’re not keeping me up.” He put his own notebook and pens away before clearing the table. “You could keep me as long as you want, actually.” 

Your cheeks heated up at his blatant flirting and you busied yourself by shrugging your backpack onto your shoulders. Now that he mentioned it, the textbook was rather heavy. But it was fine. Your apartment was only a 15 minute walk from here. 

He slid out of the booth and walked towards the exit, thanking the workers with a playful twinkle of his fingers. When the door shut behind you, Oikawa turned your way with his hands in his pockets. 

“It’s dark out,” he stated the obvious, looking around the campus that was faintly illuminated by building lights and street lamps. “It could be dangerous for you to walk home alone.” 

You tapped your finger nervously against the side of your thigh. There was a slight breeze that brushed past you and you felt the goosebumps rising on your bare arms. Although you would consider your campus relatively safe compared to other colleges, you couldn’t deny that it was dark outside. Most of the time when you were out this late you were with friends or had someone to drive you home. 

“It is a bit late,” you agreed hesitantly. While you weren’t a fan of the dark, you figured it was normal for college students to have to get used to walking alone in it eventually. “It’s fine though—”

“If you want,” he said with a look that you thought was meant to be soothing, “I can walk you home!” 

You blinked. 

He smiled. 

“I couldn’t ask that of you!” you said once you process what Oikawa offered, shaking your head fervently. “My apartment is only a few streets away near the Biological Sciences buildings. Not that far from here.” 

“That’s pretty far from here,” he deadpanned. “I should know, I live near that area too!”

“You’re just saying that so I’d feel less bad letting you walk me home.”

He chuckled in amusement but denied your statement. “No, I’m serious. I live across the park behind the library.” 

You peered at him curiously. “That’s only a few streets from me.”

“Exactly! So it’d be no trouble for you to let me walk you home, right?” asked Oikawa cheekily, holding his hand out. 

Your eyes widened at the sight. Why was he offering you his hand? Did he want to hold yours? Or did he want a high five…? Sometimes you felt like you had no idea how to read him. 

“Your backpack,” he said in response to your silence. 

“W-What?”

Oikawa reached over to gentle grasp the strap on your shoulder. Though you saw it coming, you almost jumped at the touch. “I know your textbook is heavy, Y/N-chan! Didn’t I tell you I wanted to carry it for you?” 

You let him free your arm from one side of your backpack despite your string of flustered, verbal protests. “I appreciate it, but— I… I can carry it myself!” 

“And have your back and shoulders hurt again?” he tsked, lips turned down in concern. He looked cute with his little pout, but you had to admit you would rather see him smiling any day. “I’ve no doubt you can carry it yourself, but that doesn’t mean you should have to.” 

“Huh—? It’s just a backpack! It’s not like I’m carrying the weight of the world on me,” you snorted, but shrugged your bag off and allowed him to pick it up nonetheless. “But I guess I won’t reject a free pack mule.” 

He gaped. “Pack mule? That’s so mean!” 

You burst into giggles at his cry of indignation, half expecting him to hand you your backpack back in a fit of melodrama. But he kept it on, walking alongside you on the way to your apartment. And despite his haughty look, you caught an embarrassed smile playing on his face. 

“I’m only kidding,” you laughed. “I appreciate it. My back _was_ hurting a bit earlier.” You rubbed your right shoulder meekly at your confession. Hardcover textbooks were incredibly heavy and backpacks hurt like hell. You couldn’t deny that you were flattered he offered to hold it for you. “But wait… What about your back? Isn’t it too heavy?” 

“My back is just fine,” he said, flexing one of his arms out to show his muscles—not that you could see any of his muscles since he was still in the alien sweatshirt. But if the definition around his form-fitting jeans were any indication, you could imagine they were very much there. “No need to worry about me.” 

“No worrying about you allowed, but must remember to shower you in compliments after?” 

“Exactly! Finally someone who gets me.” 

You both laughed as you continued walking across campus together. The night was silent, save for the few groups of students out late studying or goofing around with their friends, and you enjoyed just being in Oikawa’s company. 

Only a sliver of the moon was out tonight and you were grateful the cool breeze wasn’t biting. You didn’t expect to be staying out so late, hence only wearing a light shirt—a very cute shirt that you thought looked very flattering, mind you—and not bringing a jacket. (Besides, you figured your bag was heavy enough as is. Didn’t want to stuff even more weight in there.) 

Oikawa eyed you as you hugged your arms around your body, subtly rubbing away the goosebumps amidst the constant chill. 

“Cold?” He asked in a way that made it seem more like a statement than anything else, and, before you knew it, he stopped walking to shrug off your bag and his, reaching for the bottom of his sweatshirt. 

You let out a nervous chuckle. “I think stripping in the street’s a bit frowned upon here.” 

He laughed at your sarcasm, a breathy twinkling noise that reminded you of a pixie. A very tall, muscular, handsome pixie apparently, since when Oikawa took off his sweatshirt you noticed just how toned he was. You quietly thanked whatever being was out there watching over you for making Oikawa wear his sweater all day— If he had taken it off any sooner, you weren’t sure if you would’ve been able to focus on learning. 

Well, maybe you’d focus on learning…all about those arms of his. But not the astrophysics you were supposed to. 

“Y/N?” he inquired.

You blinked and suddenly noticed that he was standing right in front of you, ready to drape his alien sweater around you. You froze at his closeness— Did this man really have no concept of personal space? Not that you minded, exactly. 

“You looked cold!” he said while you stared at him, holding your breath. “I don’t want you getting sick. And I’m warm anyways, so here.” 

Oikawa gestured for you to put his jacket on but you simply continued to gawk at it. You managed to stammer out, “B-But then you’ll be cold.”

“I’m actually quite warm out. See?” He pressed your hand to his forearm and you almost shivered at the contrast of heat emanating from his body and the icy feel of your fingertips. “You, on the other hand, are freezing. Wear it for me, Y/N-chan?” 

Suddenly, your body felt warm all over—and you hadn’t even put his jacket on yet. To hide the look of embarrassment on your face, you pulled the sweater over you, not popping your head out until you were certain you were at least semi-composed. When your eyes peeked through, you caught a dust of pink coloring Oikawa’s cheeks and nose before he broke out into a grin. 

“Happy now?” you mumbled, watching him pick your belongings back up. 

“Have been all day, actually.” 

You almost stumbled in your steps at his words. 

Just today, Oikawa paid for your lunch, tutored you in physics, offered to walk you home, carried your book bag, and gave you his sweater without complaining once. In fact, he made it seem like things he _wanted_ to do for you. But you were unsure if he was doing this because he was nice and did these kind gestures for everyone he hung out with, or if he felt like he hit it off with you and was hoping for something more in the future. 

Part of you hoped it was the latter, but you didn’t want to delude yourself with the slim possibility. 

Oikawa was probably just like this with everyone. With all his friends. 

But did someone who just wanted to be friends go out of their way to call this a study date? Or give you a massage in the middle of a tea shop? 

You groaned internally. You wish you knew the answer but you just didn’t. For someone who seemed so open and candid, Oikawa was ridiculously hard to read. What were his intentions? You knew they were good ones—but what exactly were they? Was he interested in you? Did he feel the sparks like you did? 

It wasn’t like you seriously liked him—you had only known him for two days now—but you did like talking to him and spending time with him. And you enjoyed when he flirted with you and showed you glimpses of his genuine smile. 

You figured you would get your answers when he dropped you off at your front doorstep. According to all the romantic comedies you’ve watched, that’s where all the answers are given and what could be one of the best parts of the night. If he liked you, he’d kiss you goodnight. Or maybe, if he were less bold, hug you and ask you out on a date. If he didn’t like you and today was all just him being wholly friendly, he’d probably just give you a side hug and leave. 

Against your better judgement, you found your stomach churning at all the what if’s. 

“Earth to Y/N-chan,” you heard Oikawa call, snapping you out of your thoughts. There was a slight crease between his brows as he gazed at you in concern. “Is something the matter? You went quiet for a while.” 

You shook your head. “Sorry about that. Everything’s fine. I was just thinking.” 

“About what?” 

“Oh, nothing,” you said, clearing your throat. You couldn’t exactly say “I was thinking that I may be forming a slight crush on you and want to know if you feel the same or if I’m reading too much into this.” Nope, there was no way you could say that. “The sky is, uh, pretty.” 

He looked up, the city lights preventing the naked eye from seeing any signs of stars, save for a few especially bright ones. Still, he nodded along. “It is. It’s nice to look up at the sky and admire how vast it is.”

You hummed in agreement, playing with the long sleeves of Oikawa’s alien sweater you were wearing. “Kind of scary though, don’t you think?” 

“Scary?”

“Yeah.” You felt a little silly for sharing your thoughts like this, but you felt comfortable enough around him to go on. “Will any of us ever be able to understand how big the universe is and how small we are? Most people can’t even fully comprehend just how big the difference between one million and one billion seconds is— That’s less than twelve days versus more than thirty-one years. I feel like I can just barely comprehend that.”

“Me too,” he agreed, looking at you strangely. You weren’t quite sure of the expression he was making, but it didn’t seem like a bad one. At least, you hoped not. 

“Isn’t the estimated amount of stars in each galaxy one hundred billion or more? Even our Milky Way has anywhere between a hundred to four hundred billion— Maybe even more,” you said, rubbing your temples with your forefingers. “That’s so many; I can’t even begin to understand.”

Oikawa laughed at the sour face you pulled. “It’s even crazier to think that some of these stars that look like tiny little dots in the sky are actually a hundred times bigger than our Sun.” 

“Don’t make my head hurt even more,” you whined, but smiled to let him know you weren’t serious. “That’s so…big.” 

“Well, you’re definitely not wrong.”

You elbowed him gently for his teasing. “It’s just unfathomable. And those stars have their own planets and solar systems, too?” You wanted to pull your hair out at the frustration of trying to comprehend something so profound. And Oikawa studied this for fun? Your respect increased tenfold. “My brain hurts. But in a good way. Maybe.” 

“Don’t they say it has to hurt to grow?”

“I don’t think that’s supposed to apply to brains.” 

“Boring,” he drawled. He returned his attention from the clear sky above to you. “So you understand how incomprehensible the vastness of the universe is, and how other stars have their own planets?” 

You nodded. 

“Yet you still don’t believe aliens exist somewhere out there?” asked Oikawa incredulously, waving his arms around above him. 

Stifling a chuckle at his overdramatic gestures, you shrugged. “I’m not exactly anti-alien existence, if that’s what you think. Anymore, at least,” you clarified, amused. “It’s just that, while there’s a lot of planets orbiting different stars, most aren’t in the habitable zone. And even of the small percentage that is, there are so many other factors to take into consideration like atmosphere and tidal locking and UV radiation and—” You broke off with a deep sigh. “Brain hurts again.” 

“I’ll massage it for you,” he supplied. 

Your brow quirked. “How? You have some alien tentacles to do the job?” 

He held a finger up to his lips with a smirk. “Can’t expose myself on the first date.” 

Your heart skipped a beat. Whether it was because of the look on his face or the fact that he—yet again—called today a date or maybe both, you weren’t sure. 

Was it a date? Two people meeting for the first time and enjoying each other’s company and walking home together sounded like it could be a date. On paper, it was one. A really cute one, at that. 

Oikawa craned his neck questioningly at your sudden silence. “You okay, Y/N-chan?”

You jolted out of your endless musings. “Yeah! I’m… I’m good! I was just thinking, I guess.” 

“Something troubling you?” 

“No.” You gave him a smile, thankful for his regard. But you couldn’t exactly tell him you wanted this to be a date without potentially making things awkward. (Well, awkward for you, probably, since it seems like little would actually phase him.) “It’s nothing.” 

He hummed, dropping the subject and tilting his head back to look up into space again. You followed his gaze. “Where I’m from, you could see the stars a lot more clearly than here in the middle of the city.”

“Miyagi, you mentioned earlier, right?” 

“You remember!” he said brightly, a beam on his face. “I am from Miyagi, yes. And Sendai has an astronomical observatory I used to frequent if I had the spare freetime. I’d go with my best friend and talk his ear off about everything too.” 

“That’s so sweet!” You smiled as his eyes gleamed while recounting those memories. Though the unfathomable size of the universe was a frightening thought, you couldn’t deny its irrefutable beauty. “I wish I could see the stars more often. Even if learning about them does confuse me.”

Here, there were only a few select stars you could see along with certain planets during different months of the year if you were lucky. Stargazing wasn’t a hobby or something you felt the strong urge to do, but you thought that once in a while it could be nice. And maybe today just had you feeling sentimental, but you sort of wanted to just lie down and look at the sky for a while. 

“You should see the stars,” said Oikawa as he followed you down the last street home. The door to your apartment was in sight as the two of you walked down together. “And I’ll be there to massage your head when it hurts too much.” He wiggled his fingers and sent you a sly wink. More seriously, he continued, “We can go to the observatory nearby together. One day when you’re free again.” 

You stilled, staring at him curiously. “Like a date?” 

“Of course! What else would it be?” He grinned. “It can be our second date.” 

His words had you fiddling with the loose ends of your sweater, biting your bottom lip nervously. “So, then today…was a date?” 

“Our first of hopefully many.” Oikawa had an air of confidence in his voice, but that didn’t stop the uncertainty from slipping through the cracks. 

The atmosphere was thick with the earnest topic on hand. Gone was the shameless teasing as Oikawa let hints of vulnerability poke through. He seemed to hold his breath while waiting for your response and it was a nice change of pace knowing you had even a fraction of the effect he had on you. 

You smiled and the tension fell apart. “I’d like that.” 

He brushed his hair out of his face with his fingers, trying to block the blush on his cheeks from your view. 

“Hey, no fair,” you pouted, peeking behind his arm to get a look at his flustered expression. “You got to see me embarrassed the whole day! Let me see your blushy face now.” 

“You don’t need to,” he laughed, shielding your eyes with his hand as he turned away from your view. 

“Hey!” You batted his palm away, cheeks beginning to hurt from grinning so wide. “Just once.”

“No.”

You playful teased each other back and forth—Oikawa ruffling your hair and trying to cover your eyes, you trying to squish his cheeks and call him adorable—until you reached your front doorstep. You looked at the number on the door then back at Oikawa. 

“Well,” you said slowly, “this is my apartment.” You tugged at a loose strand of red fabric on your sweater he loaned you. “Thank you for walking me home.” 

He handed you your backpack (which, in all honesty, was even heavier than you remembered; how did he carry yours plus his own the whole way without discomfort?) and you set it down by your feet. 

“It was my pleasure, Y/N-chan,” he sang, a smile dimpling up his cheek. “Today was fun.” 

“Lots of fun.” 

You stood by your door but made no movement to get your keys. Instead, you and Oikawa gazed hesitantly at each other. As you noted earlier, the romcoms always said the front doorstep was one of the most crucial moments in defining an early relationship. Would he hug you and show that he’s here to take things slow? Would he high five you and make you think everything that happened today was only as friends? Or would he kiss you for no other reason than it’s what you both wanted? 

“What’s on your mind now?” he said, tilting his head to the side. “Seems like you’ve been thinking a lot tonight.” 

“Just thinking about you, mainly. Wondering if today was a date in a more than friends way, and if you were serious about our next date, and, now, if you wanted to kiss me too—”

Wetting his bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, Oikawa nodded. He pressed his finger to your nose in a _boop_ motion, effectively drawing your rambling to an end. “Yes to all of those things.” 

He started lifting your chin up and your eyes went wide. You swallowed, suddenly mere inches away from his face and wanting to shorten the distance even more. “By all of those things, you mean…” 

“ _All_ of those things,” he mumbled, lips getting closer to yours. “Date today, date next week, kiss tonight. How does that sound?”

“Yes,” you said with a nod, even though you knew that wasn’t exactly a proper answer to his question. But it seemed appropriate. Yes to today, yes to next week, and yes to tonight. “That sounds good.”

“I’m glad.” 

When he finally leaned in to close the distance between the two of you, your first thought was that his lips were even softer than you had imagined they’d be. They were a little cold from the night breeze, but still supple and inviting. Oikawa knew the right moments to deepen the kiss or give you a little nip or even tease you with the tip of his tongue. The residue from his lip balm slid into your mouth and you got a taste of the subtle mango flavor on his lips. 

You almost moaned. You loved mango flavors. And you loved the taste of Oikawa. And together it was enough to bring your senses into overdrive. 

Deepening the kiss, Oikawa wrapped his arm around your waist, his large hand pressing against the small of your back in a way that felt better than any massage could’ve. His protective touch contrasted from the flitting nibbles of his kiss, but that only served to make it that much better. 

He was warm and you felt comfortable in his embrace, wrapping your own arms around him to bring him as close as physically possible. You slid your fingers into his hair with a light tug, causing him to forgo all teasing to kiss you harder. 

When you pulled away to catch your breath, the two of you were left exhaling deeply, his face flushed, hair disheveled, and lips glistening—and you were certain you looked no better. 

“Wow,” he said airily, the corner of his lip tugging up, “I didn’t know you had that in you.” 

You laughed in surprise, ducking your head and hiding it against his chest. He brought his hand up to stroke the back of your hair. You said innocently, “I don’t know what you mean.” 

He hummed, amused. “Then I’ll have to show you again sometime soon.” 

“Like on our next date?” 

“Exactly.” 

You shared a smile before untangling yourself from each other, momentarily disappointed at the loss of warmth. And speaking of warmth— You jolted upright, looking down at Oikawa’s sweatshirt you were still wearing. 

“Oh! I almost forgot I’m still wearing your jacket,” you said, frantically moving to take it off and return it. You made it home now and no longer had to walk in the cold, so you figured he would want it back. Still, you hoped he would let you sleep in it until your next date…

“Keep it,” he said, answering your silent plea. He gave you a knowing look as your face visibly brightened at his words. “So you don’t miss me too much until we see each other in a few days.” 

You shielded your face behind the oversized sleeves that smelled like him from the kiss. Just the thought brought heat to your cheeks yet again. “I’ll take good care of it till then.”

“I trust you. It is my favorite sweatshirt, after all,” he warned, wagging his finger playfully. At your wide eyes, he laughed. “Don’t worry about it.” Oikawa pressed a swift kiss onto your forehead as he got ready to say his goodbyes. “Have a good sleep tonight, okay?” 

“I will,” you promised. “You should call or text me when you get home safely— Er, well maybe we should exchange numbers first?” You scratched the back of your head. Maybe the two of you were doing this whole dating thing out of order. 

He chuckled, adjusting the strap of his book bag. “I’ll just message my number to you to add.” 

So maybe you were doing things out of order, but who really cared? There wasn’t a right or wrong way to start a relationship anyway. 

“Okay,” you agreed. The sky seemed even darker than during the walk here, but that only made the few twinkling stars appear even brighter. “Well, thank you again for today. I had a lot of fun.”

“And learned a lot of astrophysics, I hope.”

“Yes,” you laughed. “Thank you.”

“The pleasure was all mine,” he said with an overdramatic bow. He held your hand in his and brushed your knuckles with his lips. “I’ll see you soon, Y/N-chan! And I’m looking forward to our second date!” 

“I’m looking forward to it too!”

You waved as you watched him walk down the driveway and across the street. Oikawa paused mid-step, turning around to blow an air kiss your way. You giggled, reaching out to grab it and put it in your pocket for safe keeping. 

The romcoms were right. The front doorstep was the most telling part of a date. And you were happy you got a kiss on yours.


End file.
